Totalizing mechanism



Dec. 18, 1928. 1,696,087

J. HARRIS TOTALI Z ING MECHANI SM Filed Aug. 12, 1926 Patented Dec. 18,1928.

UNITED sr rss v (PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE HARRIS, or LA FAYETTE, INDIANA, Assienon 'ro DUNCAN ELECTRIC MANU-FACTURING COMPANY, or LA FAYETTEpINDIANA, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

TOTALIZING MECHANISM.-

Applicatlon filed August 12, 1926. Serial No. 128,845.

meter to permit free but slow restoring movement of the pointers, or toforce each pointer, if frictionally held, back to zero position. Bymeans of my invention, the pointers ofthe totalizing mechanism may bereadily restored to zero positions by operating the gearing andpreferably without dismountin the totalizing mechanism. To this end,adjusting means for unmeshing some of the gears through which motion istransmitted to the pointers or some of the pointers whereby the gearsthat remain in control of such pointers ma be easily rotated in forwardor reverse directions merely by grasping and turnin one of the pointerswhich is turned until a l of such pointers are brought tozero positions.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which Fig. 1 is a front view of a totalizing mechanismequipped with the device of my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view online 52-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is similar to a part of Fig. 2 but with twoof the gears unmeshed; and Fig. 4 is a rear view'illustrating theunmeshing of the gears, parts being broken awa The totalizing mechanismillustrated is one that is employed in electricity watt hour meters. 7 Ihave illustrated the u right spindle 1 of such a meter and a portion 2of the metallic meter disc. A worm 3 is provided upon the spindle whichis constantly in mesh with a worm wheel 4 fixed upon a horizontal shaft5. An arm 6 is fixed upon the shaft and extends radially therefrom intothe plane of rotation of the angular extension of an arm 7 which issecured to the horizontal shaft 8 of the totalizing mechanism. Thisshaft is journaled upon two parallel plates 9 and 10. A small gear wheelor pinion 11 is fixed upon the shaft 8 and is in mesh with a larger gearwheel 12 which is fixed upon a shaft 13 that is journaled in said plates9 and 10. A

employ small gear wheel or pinion 14 is fixed upon the shaft 13 and isin mesh with a larger gear wheel 15 fixed upon a shaft 16 which is alsojournaled in the plates 9 and 10. Av small gear wheel or pinion 17 isfixed upon the shaft 16 and is in mesh with a larger gear wheel 18. Thegear wheel 18 is fixed upon the shaft 19 which is journaled at its frontend in a plate 20 which is parallel'with the plates 9 and 10, this shaftpassing through an opening in the plate 1O. The rear end of this shaftis journaled in a bearing 21 which is carried by the plate 9. Theremaining gear wheels a'redisposed between the plates 10 and 20. A smallgear wheel or pinion 22 is fixed upon the shaft 19 and is in mesh with alarger gear wheel 23 which is fixed upoira shaft 24 that is journaled inthe plates 10 and 20. A small gear wheel or pinion 25 is fixed upon theshaft 24 and is in mesh with a larger gear wheel 26. The latter gearwheel is fixed upon a shaft 27 which is ournaled in the plates 10 and20. A small gear wheel or pinion 28 is fixed upon the shaft 27 and is inmesh with a larger gear wheel 29 which is fixed upon a shaft 30. The

latter shaft is journaled in the plates 10- and 20. The shafts 19, 24,27 and 30 have reduced ends that project through the front plate 20.Indexes or pointers 31, 32, 33 and 34 are respectively provided upon thefront ends of said shafts, each pointer desirably havinga hub portionwhich has tight frictional fit with the corresponding shaft. Dials 35,36, 37 and 38 are respectively individual to said pointers and havecircular rows of characters respectively concentric with the shaftscarrying the pointers.

Motion that is imparted to the arm 7 by the arm 6 is transmitted atsuitably reduced speed through the speed reducing gearing 11, 12, 14, I5and 17 to the gear wheel 18 and the pinion 22 fixed with respect to andcoaxial with this gear wheel and forming with said gear wheel an'initialone of three sets of gear wheels arranged in succession, the second setcomprising the gear wheels 23 and25 and the third set comprising thegear wheels 26 and 28. In order that all of the pointers may be broughtto zero positions merely by turning one of them, the train of gears isbroken that includes the speed reducing gearing 11, 12, 14, 15 and-17and the large gear wheel 18 of the aforesaid initial set of gear Wheels.To this end, one of these gear wheels,

preferably the gear wheel 18, is provided with means for unmeshin'g itfrom the nextpreceding gear of the speed reducing gearing in order thatthe gears 18 and 22 and all of the succeeding gears may be freelyrotated without being hindered by the speed reducing gearing and withoutbeing prevented from being so' rotated by the arm 6 of the meter. Tothis end, the rear end of the shaft 19 is journaled in the bearing 21eccentrieally to this hearing. The bearing is shown as being screwedinto the plate 9 and as having an arm 39 in fixed connection with therear end of the bearing so that the hearing may be turned upon its ownaxis to shift the position of the inner end of the shaft 19. lVhen thegear wheel 18 is in mesh, its axis and the axis of bearing 21 aresubstantially parallel. When the pointers are to be restored to normal,the arm 39 is desirably turned sutficiently to unmesh the gear wheel 18from the pinion 17 while the pinion 22 is still in mesh with the gearwheel 23. lVhen this adjustment has been efi'ected, one of the pointers.preferably pointer 32 or 33, is turned until all of the pointers arebrought to zero POSI- tions.

Changes may be made without departing from the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

Totalizing mechanism including motion transmitting speed reducinggearing; a gear wheel in mesh with the final gear of said speed reducinggearing; an index upon the shaft of said gear wheel; and a bearing forsaid shaft and mounted to turn upon its own axis and upon which bearingthis shaft is journaled excentrically to the axis of the bearing, saidbearing and said gear whee being relatively disposed to enable said gearwheel to be thrown out of connection with the aforesaid reducing gearingby suitably turning the aforesaid bearing, the axes of said bearing andgear wheel being substantially parallel when said gear wheel is in mesh.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

JESSE HARRIS.

